First Battle of the Caucasus (Russo-Islamic World War III)
The First Battle of the Caucasus ''' known by the Holy Caliphate Forces as '''Operation Enver Pasha (Turkish: وتاراصوڭیـو انواـر پاثحـا, Operasonyu Enver Pasha) and known in Russia as the Caucasus Defensive Operation (Russian: Кавказская Oборонительная Oперация, Kavkazskaya Oboronitel'naya Operatsiya) was fought between the Holy Caliphate, consisting of Turkish, Arabian, Azerbaijani forces against the combined forces of mainly Russian forces, as well as Armenia and Georgia. Although initially resisting the Caliphate invasion, Sultan Erdoğan of Turkey and Sultan Kasimov persuaded Georgia to join the Caliphate's side, by promising the Georgian Orthodox Church hegemony over Georgia, and exempting Georgian Orthodox from the jizyah tax. What was most crucial though, was the Caliphate's recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, promising to help Georgia take it back from Russian occupation. The battle was one of the first major battles of Russo-Caliphate War, and happened concurrently with the Balkan Operation. The operation within the Holy Caliphate was named in honor of Enver Pasha, who led the Ottoman forces during the Caucasus campaign. Both Turkey and Azerbaijan coordinatedand planned the operation well, like the rest of the Caliphate members, had really friendly ties with Russia, training their soldiers in Russia, and learning Russian ways. The Holy Caliphate fielded a total of 3,500,000 troops, up against 120,000 combined Russian, Armenian and Georgian forces, when Georgia joined the Caliphate, combined Russian and Armenian forces were reduced to 83,042. However, many Georgians regarded the Caliphate as an enemy of the Christian nation, considering the Georgian government's decision to side with the Caliphate an act of spiritual betrayal, and reluctantly looked to Russia for help. Georgian rebels fled to Russia as a result. President Mikhail Budayev reinforced Armenia with 12,230 troops, and utilized both infantry and mechanized battalions to fend off the Caliphate invasion, Russian aerial forces targetted Azerbaijani oil fields. Eventually, in knowing that Armenia would fall to the Caliphate invasion, President Budayev enacted War Plan Soghomon Tehlirian, evacuating millions of Armenians to Russia. Military-age Armenians would be trained by Russian soldiers, to take back their homeland from the Caliphate. The battle was considered a victory for the Caliphate with the Caliphate capture of Yerevan, and the fall of Armenia. Afterwards, the Caliphate continued their merciless invasion into southern Russia, with aerial clashes between Russian and Turkish-Azerbaijan air forces. The two sultans decided to split up their forces, with 1,300,420 staying in Armenia, and the other to continue the invasion into southern Russia. In southern Russia, the Caliphate felt the wrath of 2,100,320 Russian troops, and an additional 3,103,004 Russian paramilitary and 1,530,310 Armenian paramilitary. Joint Russian-Armenian forces continued to carry out sporadic attacks into Armenia. In Armenia, the Caliphate enacted the Second Armenian Genocide, known as War Plan Talaat Pasha. The Caliphate invasion could not handle the strength of joint Russian-Armenian forces, therefore, Sultan Erdoğan was forced to pull in reserves from occupied Armenia, about 375,000 to attempt to push through southern Russia. He also called in 104,301 reserves from the Sultanate of Arabia. Although the Caliphate was able to consolidate their hold on southern Russia for one year, they succombed to the Russian-Armenian resistance. Russian aerial forces conducted blitzkriegs in occupied Armenia, resulting in the liberation of Armenia. For siding with the Caliphate, Russia and Armenia conducted merciless attacks on Georgia and eastern Turkey, home to an Armenian minority. Category:Battles Category:Russo-Islamic World War III